Advertising-clock



J. U. BARR.

ADVERTISING CLOCK. APPLICATION fILED MAY 10. I916.

1,327,898, Patented Jan. 13,-1920.

. 5 woa wtoz 2 0 Jo/m Z1 Haj-1* v WJOAM JOHN U. BARR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADVERTISING-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Application filed May 10, 1916. Serial No. 96,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, zen of the United States, residing in the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertisin -Clocks, of which the following is a speci cation.

My invention relates in general to a pe riodically actuated advertlsement display device and specifically relates to an advertising clock'designed to project the time together with advertising matter during succeeding periods of time on 21; picture screen, such as is used in motion picture theaters.

One ofthe objects of the invention is to provide a simple form of display device designed to indicate time on a projected clock face and to successively impose on the face difi'erent features of a series of advertising signs, so that a new sign is presented at the beginning of each succeeding minute or other period of time.

Another object of my invention is to 1provide a device of the above indicated 0 aracter of. the least possible number of movable parts and designed to be actuated magnetically with the minimumconsumption of electric energy.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a simplified form of mechanism arranged so that the sign actuation and the clock hand controlling mechanism may be operated and controlled from a single source of power.

These objects are attained broadly by disposing clock hands in operative position across the face of a clock dial on a; transparent plate disposed in the path of light from a light projector and by arranging advertising or other matter on one or more slides designed to be moved periodically across the light path, so that at each succeeding period of time the image of a new sign is presented together with an image of a clock with the hands thereof disposed to indicate the time. I

Incidental to these general objects it is a further desideratum to provide a construction of the character described. designed so that the display slide may be readily disconnected from the actuating means to correct the time or to re-arrange the sequence of presentation of the signs relativcto the time. i

Various other objects and advantages of J QHN U. BARR, a citithe invention will. be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawin s Patented Jan. 13, 1920. v

and in part will be more fully set forth 1n the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my inventlon, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in rear. elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

F ig. 2 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a view partly diagrammatic of the electric'elements shown in Figs. 1 and 2, shown connected with a master clock.

The device illustrated includes a supporting plate 4, preferably of metal, and designed to be mounted across the line of light from a projector arranged to focus the. picture on a picture screen, as is usual with devices of this character. This device is particularly designed to be mounted in the projector booth of a motion picture theater, but

as these booths are usually quite hot and any clock present would have its lubrication rapidly dried, the device is'controlled referably by a master clock indicated sym olically by MC (in Fig. 3) and usually placed outside of the hot booth, preferably in the oflice.

The supporting plate 4 constitutes a bearing for a stub shaft 5 rotatably mounted therein upon which shaft is fixed a slide supporting carriage 6. This carriage is preferably in the form of a circular diskpositioned relatively close to the support 4. The periphery of the carriage is serrated to provide a plurality of equally spaced one-way ratchet teeth having a'brupt shoulders 7- to constitute stops for the carriage in its stepb-y-step movement hereinafter described.

Intermediate the "shoulders 7 ,the periphery of the carriage is provided with shoulders 8 facing in the direction opposite to the direction that the shoulders 7 face and arranged to be engaged by a pivoted stop arm 9. The stop arm is preferably pivoted to the support 4 and for this purpose is mounted in a bracket 10. The arm is maintained in bearing engagement with the periphery of the carriage by means of a spring 11 and is limited in its pivotal movement in both directions by means of the pins 12 and subjecting: rearwardly from the support 4.

The carriage is providedwith a plurality of slide openings 14 positioned adjacent the periphery and disposed in a circle concentrio with the axis of rotation of the carriage.

'The. Openings are preferably positioned as close together as possible and as far away from the axis of rotation asthediameter of the openings willpermit, thus insuring the useof-a maximum number of apertures with the 1particularsize of carria e used. u

T e sup ort is provided with a light aperture 15 in. ine-with the light from the pro' jector and arranged .relative to the openings 14 so that as; the openings are moved into their succeeding positions they will be framed in the light aperture.

The clock mechanism includes 'a'pair of 16 and 'l'i projecting into the light hands aperture and arranged to have their images projected on the screen to. indicate the time. The minute hand 16 is 'actuateddirectly froma master-gear 18 arranged so that at each complete revolution it will cause the necessary advance in the controlled gear 19 from which the hour hand 17 is actuated to cause the same to advance a space on the clock face to indicate one hour, as is usual with clock mechanism. The master gear, is actuated from the shaft 5 by means of suitable reducing gearing 20.

In order to advance the carriage with its step-by-step movement and to advance the hands. in. their step-by step movement, a one-way ratchet feeding mechanism is operatively connected to the shaft 5. This side of the lever to which the pawl is connected is provided with an armature plate 26 operatively associated with a pair 'of electromagnets 27 mounted upon the support 4 in position sothat thejenergizing of the electromagnets will act on the armature plate 26 to cause the pawl 22 to rotate-the ratchet pinion 21 and the attached carriage over an are sufficient to displace one of the openings 14 from the aperture 15 and to place the next succeeding opening into position, framed relative to said aperture. The pawl is maintained in engagement with the pinion 21 by means of a spring 28 having its ends attached to the pawl and to the lever24 at points remote from the pivotal connection between the pawl and lever. The free endofgthe lever 24: is turned toward the periphery of the carriage 6 to form a stop member 29 designed to engage the periphery when theelectromagnet is energized and to intercept the movement of the carriage "when the next succeeding shoulder 7 comes into engagement with the stop member 29. A spring 30 has .one end attached to the support 4 and the other end attached to the lever 24 so as to advance the head 23 of the pawl to engage the 'next'succeeding tooth of the pinion when the electromagnet is deenergized.

The slide openings 14 are outlined by bezels 36 designed to have a transparent slide 31 fitted therein and adjacent sides of contiguous slides are held in position by bifurcated keepers 32 demountably fastened imposition between the openings by means of screws 33. The slides are preferably circular glass disks with the advertising matter or other text 35. to be displayed positioned thereon in any desired order, preferably arranged so that when projected it will fit within the outline of the clock figures on the projected clock dial. While the clock dial in the device illustrated is disposed on a glass disk fitted within the fixed light aperture 15 it is obviously within the scope of the invention to place the clock figures on the shiftable slides to correspond in design to the particular text or figure disposed on these shiftable slides.

In operation the supporting plate .is mounted in position across the line of light from a projector and with the light passing through the aperture onto a properly placed screen. The terminal 36 at one side of the electromagnet is connected by means of a conductor 37 with a source 38 of electricenergy and with a periodically actuated circui-t closer MC such as a master clock arranged to close the circuit once every minute for a period of about one second duration if the clock is geared to advance by minute periods of time. The slides to be displayed 5 are inserted in order in the several openings and fastened in place by setting the keepers. The pawl is moved bodily so as to disconnect its head from the pinion 21 and this pinion is rotated manually to set the clock hands in position to indicate the proper time.

At the beginning of each minute the master clock closes the circuit through the electromagnets for a short period. In the device illustrated the circuit is grounded on the supporting plate but as shown in Fig. 3 a return conductor 40 may lead from the advanced side of the electromagnets back to one side of the circuit closer MC. The energized electromagnets attract the armature plate 26 which in turn rocks the lever 24 and draws the pawl 22 longitudinally. This action brings the head 23 into engagement with. one of the teethof the pinion 21 tary movement of the carriage as it advances on its forward step-by-step movement. The actuation is continued; the clock' mechanism is actuated each succeeding minute to advance the clock hands and the carriage is actuated simultaneously to bringa new advertisement into position across the light beam in position to be projected on the screen.

By means of a device of this character a different advertisement may be projected for each minute within the ran e of the instrument. A different advertisement may be inserted in the series even during the operation of the device and should this inserting of a new for an old slide consume more than va minute the clock mechanism may be actuated manually to catch up the lost minutes and the clock may be corrected in this manner independent of the master clock.

Current is passing only during the period necessary to turn the motor and in this way a saving of electric energy is possible and economy of operation is provided.

There is but one set of electromagnets necessary to operate both the clock element and the sign displayelement of the device; this economizes both in cost of construction and in the cost of operation. There are but few parts which might get out of'order and these are exposed given convenient access in case of repair or replacing of worn parts.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member provided with a light aperture of a shaft, a circular disk mounted on said shaft and provided with one-way ratchet teeth having abrupt shoulders adapted to constitute stops, said periphery also provided with shoulders facing in the direction opposite to the direction that the first named shoulders face a stop arm adapted to engagesaid one way ratchet teeth to prevent reverse movement of the carriage, said disk provided with slide openings adapted to be rotated with the disk'into alinement with said light aperture, a one way pawl and ratchet connection with said disk, an electric circuit includmg a source 'of electric energy, an electromagnet and a circuit closer for periodically completing the circuit through the electromagnet, a lever constituting an armature for sa1d electromagnet, one end of said lever operatively connected to the pawl of'said pawl and ratchet connection to rotate the disk and the other end ofsaid lever adapted to enga e said second named shoulder to stop tfie movement of the disk as each slide opening is framed in the light aperture.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a member provided with a light aperture, movable members mounted in said light aperture and designed to be disposed in line with the light from aprojector, a carriage mounted for rotary movement and provided with slide openings adapted to be framed in said light aperture, an actuating shaft operatively connected to the carriage to rotate the same, a gear train connecting saidmovable members and shaft, an electric circuit including a source ofelectric energy, an electromagnet, a circuit closer for periodically completing the circuit through the electromagnet and a driving connection between said electromagnet and said shaft whereby the movable members and the carriage are both actuated with a step-by-step motion on each actuation of the electromagnet.

3. In a device of the class described, .the combination of a shaft mounted for rotary movement, a .rotating carriage actuated by said shaft, a one-way ratchet fixed to the shaft, an electromagnet, a lever constituting an armature for said electromagnet' and pivoted intermediate its length, a pawl pivoted to'one end of said lever and engaging said ratchet to actuate the carriage by a step-bystep motion on each actuation of the electromagnet, the opposite end of said armature lever constituting a stop for engaging the carriage, and a spring connecting the arma ture lever and pawl to maintain the pawl in driving engagement with theratchet.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shaft mountedfor rotary movement, a rotating carriage actuated by said shaft, a one-way ratchet fixed to the shaft, an electromagnet, a lever constituting an armature for sa1d electromagnet, a pawl pivoted to one end of said lever and engaging said ratchet to actuate the carriage by a step-by-step motion on each actuation of the '.electromagnet and means carried by said armature lever at the end opposite the end to which the pawl is pivoted for braking the rotationof said carriage.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a movable member mounted for rotary movement about a fixed axis and adapted to be disposed in line with the light from a projector, a carriage provided with a plurality of slides adapted to be moved across said light from the projector, electromagnetically actuated 7 means operatively connected to both said movable member and to said carriage to actuate the same simultaneously and periodically actuated means for ontrolling; said electromagnetically actuat d means. v

6, In adevice of the class described, the combination of a main shaft, a picture actuating device operatively connected, a gear train mechanism including a pinion mounted on, said shaft to be actuated thereby simultaneously with the actuation of the picture actuating device, of. .an electromag netically actuated mechanismfor causing said picture actuating device and said gear train mechanism to functionperiodical-ly;

said electromagnetic'ally actuated mecha' nism including a one-way ratchet fixed to theshaft, an electromagnet, a lever constituting an armature for said electromagnet,

.avpawl pivoted to said lever and engaging said ratchet to actuate the shaft by a stepby-step motion on each actuation of the elec tromagnet.

Signed at New York cit in the county of New York, and State 0 fourth day of May, A. D. 1916.

' JOHN U. BARR.

New York, this 

